published

Open Library

The Open Library API offers developers free access to book, author, and publication metadata, enabling easy integration into various applications.

Developed by Internet Archive (Open Library)

View Source
99.90%Uptime
150msLatency
5.6kStars
No AuthAuth
NoCredit Card
RESTStyle
v1Version
API Endpoints

Reference for available routes, request structures, and live examples.

Searches Open Library's book database

Full Endpoint URL
https://openlibrary.org/api/books
Implementation Example
curl -X GET 'https://openlibrary.org/api/books'
Request Payload
{
  "format": "json",
  "bibkeys": "ISBN:0451526538"
}
Expected Response
{
  "ISBN:0451526538": {
    "title": "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer",
    "authors": [
      {
        "name": "Mark Twain"
      }
    ],
    "publish_date": "1876"
  }
}
Version:v1

Real-World Applications
  • Displaying book metadata in a reading appOptimized Capability
  • Populating author biographies for an educational platformOptimized Capability
  • Building an online bookstore with book search by ISBNOptimized Capability
  • Academic research retrieving bulk publication dataOptimized Capability
Advantages
  • ✓ Completely free and open public API
  • ✓ Extensive catalog with millions of books and authors
  • ✓ No authentication or API key required—instant access
  • ✓ Fast response times and high uptime
Limitations
  • ✗ Rate limited by IP and may affect high‑volume use
  • ✗ Occasional missing or incomplete metadata
  • ✗ No official SDKs provided—clients must roll their own
  • ✗ No advanced query features like full‑text search or complex filtering

FAQs

API Specifications

v1
Pricing Model
free
Credit Card
Not Required
Response Formats
JSON
Supported Languages
5 Languages
SDK Support
REST Only
Time to Hello World

under 5 minutes (just call the endpoints directly)

Rate Limit

1000 requests per hour per IP

Free Tier Usage

Unlimited access within rate limit of 1000 requests per hour per IP, free for all users.

Use Case: Best For

Developers needing open access to book and author metadata without cost or authentication barriers.

Not Recommended For

High‑volume commercial services needing higher rate limits or guaranteed SLAs.

Resources

Documentation Official Website Source Code Pricing Details Postman Collection
#literature#books

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